19

1.—6,

Amendments agreed to. Clause as amended agreed to. Clause 108 read, Motion No. 2. Amendment proposed, Inline 7to omit the word "ninety." (Mr. Stout.) And the question being put, That the word proposed to be omitted stand part of the clause, the Committee divided, and the names were taken down as follows :— Ayes, 7. Noes, 5. Mr. Beetham, Mr. Bullanee, Sir R. .Douglas, Mr. Bastings, Mr. Harper, Mr. Lumsden, Mr. Pyke, Mr. Stout, Hon. D. Reid, Mr. Thomson. Mr. Rolleston, Mi\ Feschemaker. So it passed in the affirmative. Clause agreed to. Sesolved, without notice, on motion of Hon. Mr. Reid, That the following words be inserted in the Bill after clause 110:—"If the holder of any depasturirg license shall have erected or made, or shall hereafter erect or make, any building, fencing, enclosure, or other improvement on Crown lands included within his license, but not included in any pre-emptive right, and such land shall be purchased by any other person than such holder, he shall be entitled to remove such building, fencing, enclosure, or other improvement, within three months from the date of his receiving a written notice of such purchase from the Board." Besolved, on motion of Hon. Mr. Reid, That the following words be inserted in the Bill after clause 114 (substituted, by consent, for amendment to be moved by Mr. Lumsden, Motion No. 9): —"All pastoral leases or licenses in the districts of Otago and Southland terminating between the month of July in any year and the month of March in the next succeeding year, shall be held to terminate in the last-named month of March, and the lessee or licensee whose term of occupation has become extended by virtue of this provision shall be liable for, and shall pay in advance, a proportionate amount of rent for the period during which his lease or license may be so extended." Motion No. 8. Moved by Sir R. Douglas—That the following words be inserted in Appendix A to the Bill after clause 1 :— It shall be lawful for the Board, with the assent of the Governor, to set apart blocks of land to be opened for occupation without payment, but subject to the conditions as to cultivation and residence hereinafter set forth, herein called the " homestead system." The Board shall give public notification of all blocks of land that from time to time may be declared open for selection on the homestead system, and shall also publicly notify the following conditions, which shall apply to all selections under the aforesaid homestead system : — (1.) The area allowed to be selected by each person of the age of eighteen years or upward shall be of first-class lands fifty acres, or of second-class lands seventy-five acres ; and for persons under eighteen years of age, of first-class lands twenty acres, or of second-class lands thirty acres : Provided that the total quantity to be selected by any one family or number of persons occupying the one household shall not exceed two hundred acres of first-class or three hundred acres of second-class lands. (2.) Within three months after the selection has been approved by the Board, the selector shall commence to reside on his selection, and shall continue to reside continuously thereon for five years from the date of such approval as aforesaid. (3.) Within eighteen months after such approval, the selector shall erect on his selection a permanent dwelling-house of wood or other materials, which shall be specified in regulations to be issued in reference to homestead system selections. (4.) In each year there shall be brought under cultivation one-fifteenth of the area of such selection if open land, and one-twenty-fifth if bush land ; so that, at the end of the term of five years, one-third of the selection of open land, or one-fifth if bush land, shall be under cultivation. (5.) Non-performance of any of the foregoing stipulations shall render the selection void, and the right of the selector therein and to all improvements thereon shall be forfeited. (6.) At the end of the said period of five years, a grant or grants shall issue for the land selected : Provided the selector shall not have forfeited his right thereto in manner aforesaid. Insert at beginning of clause 2 the following words : Subject to the two last foregoing provisions." And the question being put, That these words be so added, the Committee divided, and the names were taken down as follows :— Ayes, 7. Noes, 3. Mr. Bastings, Mr. Ballanee, Mr. Beetham, Mr. Lumsden, Sir R. Douglas. Mr. Stout. Mr. Harper, Hon. D. Reid, Mr. Rolleston, Mr. Teschemaker. So it passed in the affirmative. Motion No. 5. Moved by Mr. Stout, That the following words be inserted in Appendix Gto the Bill before Clause 1 :—" No land shall be sold in Canterbury before survey." And the question being put, that these words be so added, the Committee divided, and the names were taken down as follows :—